1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to safety bumpers for a crib.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An infant's crib includes a head board, a foot board and a pair of sides extending between the head board and foot board. The sides typically are formed with a pair of horizontal rails connected to one another by a plurality of vertically aligned spindles disposed in spaced parallel relationship to one another. The spacing between the spindles permits a flow of air through the region of the crib and enables the parent to observe the child. Furthermore, the spindles in the sides of the crib enable the infant to view the surrounding room. Spindles also are provided in the head board and foot board of some prior art cribs. Additionally, some prior art cribs include corner posts attached to the head board and foot board, and panels that are spaced inwardly from the corner posts at all locations accept the extreme top and bottom of the respective panels.
The prior art crib further includes a spring that is rigidly connected to the opposed head board and foot board. The spring may have locking mechanisms attached thereto for permitting selective raising and lowering of at least one side of the crib. A typical prior art locking mechanism includes a foot actuated latch that can be released to enable the selective lowering of a side of the crib. The latch will engage the side of the crib automatically when the side is raised to its maximum height.
The prior art crib further includes a rectangular mattress supported on the spring. The mattress extends substantially entirely between the opposed head board and foot board and between sides of the crib. The typical prior art mattress for a crib is manufactured with a plastic waterproof outer cover. The plastic cover would be uncomfortable and potentially unsafe for the infant. Consequently, the prior art crib mattress invariably is used with a sheet. Most prior art crib mattresses are used with fitted sheets that have elastic at selected edge locations. The fitted sheet is configured and dimensioned to effectively envelop the top, sides and ends of the mattress and to engage a small portion of the bottom of the mattress. The prior art fitted sheet typically is mounted by at least partly removing the prior art mattress from the crib so that the elastic edges of the fitted sheet can be efficiently engaged under the mattress.
The spacing of openings in the sides and ends of a crib are small enough to prevent the infant's head from being trapped between adjacent spindles. However, an infant's arm or leg easily can be passed through the spaces between the spindles. Forces exerted by the slats on an arm or leg inadvertently slipped into the space between the spindles can affect the flow of blood to the infant's limb, and thereby can cause permanent damage. In other situations, an infant may injure an arm or leg joint by attempting to turn or roll while a limb is extended between the spindles. In still other situations, a curious infant may catch a finger or toe in the spring or locking mechanism directly beneath the mattress. Still other injuries can occur by contact when the infant rolls or falls into a hard spindle.
In view of these potential problems, most parents utilize a crib bumper. The typical prior art crib bumper is an elongate series of pads disposed in end-to-end relationship. Each pad is approximately 0.5-1.0 inch thick and approximately 10 inches high. Two of the pads have lengths substantially equal to the length of the crib mattress, while two other pads have lengths substantially equal to the width of the crib mattress. The pads of the prior art crib bumper alternate such that long pads are in end-to-end relationship with short pads. The pads are enveloped in an attractive cover that functions to retain the pads in end-to-end relationship. A plurality of strings or ribbons are sewn to the cover at selected locations along at least one edge. More particularly, strings or ribbons typically are sewn near midpoints of the longer pads and at the connections between adjacent pads. The interconnected pads are inserted into the crib and are articulated relative to one another such that the long pads lie adjacent the sides of the crib and such that the short pads lie adjacent to the head board and foot board. The strings or ribbons then are employed to tie the pads of the prior art bumper to the spindles of the crib.
Prior art crib bumpers of this type have been used for generations. However, these prior art crib bumpers are not perfect and room for improvement exists. For example, the above-described prior art crib bumper easily can move upwardly relative to the spindles, thereby leaving a gap between the bottom of the bumper and the top of the mattress. The infant's arm or leg easily can be inserted into the gap between the spindles, thereby permitting the problems described above. Additionally, the functioning of the prior art crib bumper is contingent upon the secure retention of the strings or ribbons on the spindles. An inadvertent loosening or a pulling of the ribbon by a curious infant can lead to a complete collapse and disassembly of the prior art crib bumper.
The above-described prior art crib bumper also is aesthetically undesirable in many respects. For example, the outer face of the crib bumper is disposed substantially adjacent portions of the crib sheet that cover the sides of the mattress. Crib sheets must be laundered frequently and have a very short life span. Thus, to achieve aesthetic attractiveness of the crib, the parent or guardian must shop for crib sheets that match or coordinate with the design or color on the crib bumper. Furthermore, the gap between the bumper and the mattress contributes to the aesthetic unattractiveness.
The prior art includes various attempts to provide improved crib bumpers. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,321,779 shows a crib mattress with integral pads. The pads are hingedly connected to the edges defined by the lower face of the mattress and the side faces thereof. The pads all are dimensioned to extend upwardly beyond the top face of the mattress when portions of the pads lie in face-to-face contact with the sides and ends of the mattress. This structure necessarily requires a specially manufactured crib mattress that is dimensionally smaller than the conventional mattress so that the combined mattress and bumper assembly can fit within the fixed dimensions of the crib. Additionally, this prior art assembly virtually precludes the use of the conventional crib sheets that are fitted to engage under portions of the mattress adjacent the sides and ends of the mattress.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,619,824 shows a combined bumper and sheet assembly. More particularly, the bottom edge of the crib bumper is affixed to portions of the sheet that will lie adjacent the outer periphery of the crib mattress. The sheet further includes a portion extending downwardly to lie adjacent the side faces of the crib mattress. This prior art structure necessarily requires a crib bumper to be changed each time the sheet has changed. Prior art bumpers of this type may make it difficult for the infant to insert an arm or leg between the spindles of the crib. However, normal movement of the infant on the mattress may cause the bumper to raise, thereby contributing to the aesthetic unattractiveness described above.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,877,090 shows a bumper assembly with downwardly depending straps that can be secured to the spring or to some other structural element below the mattress. This design may prevent upward separation of the bumper from the crib mattress. However, the straps for securing the bumper to lower portions of the crib structure are unsightly and further detract from the appearance of the crib at the interface between the bumper and portions of the sheet adjacent the side faces of the mattress.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,765 shows a crib bumper assembly similar to the conventional prior art crib bumper described in detail above. However, the crib bumper of U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,765 further includes downwardly extending flaps to lie adjacent the side faces of the crib mattress. This prior art crib bumper can move upwardly relative to the mattress to create the problems described above.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,135 shows a crib bumper that attempts to overcome the problems described with the bumper referred to in the preceding paragraph and with the conventional prior art crib bumper discussed above. In this regard, U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,135 shows a foam crib bumper formed to include an inwardly facing notch dimensioned to engage the side faces of the crib mattress. Thus, portions of the crib bumper below the notch will lie beneath the bottom surface of the crib mattress, while portions of the foam bumper above the notch will lie above the top face of the crib mattress. The depth or thickness provided at the notch exceeds the normal distance between the side or end faces of the mattress and the side or end faces of the mattress and the sides, head board and foot board of the crib. Thus, the bumper assembly shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,135 could require a special mattress. Additionally, a bumper of this type could be hard to assemble and could complicate the frequent sheet-changing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,370,765 shows a crib bumper that wraps entirely over the sides of the crib. The bottom portions of the bumper are tied to the spring or other structural elements beneath the bottom of the mattress.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,276 shows a complex assembly where a crib bumper includes a plurality of vertically extending side and end walls interconnected consecutively to one another and dimensioned such that portions of these bumper side walls lie adjacent the side and end faces of the mattress, while portions of the bumper extend considerably upwardly from the top face of the mattress. The bumper assembly shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,276 is used with a sheet having portions lying on the top face of the mattress, and portions extending upwardly in substantially face-to-face engagement with the bumper. Top flaps of the bumper then are folded downwardly and over the upwardly extending walls of the sheet. This unusual arrangement requires specially manufactured sheets. Without such specially manufactured sheets, the bumper can easily lift relative to the mattress, thereby creating the problems referred to above.